Putin delivers address to Russian Federal Assembly
Inevitable changes. What Putin urged Russians to prepare for
Неотвратимые перемены. К чему Путин призвал готовиться россиян
MOSCOW, February 21-RIA Novosti, Mikhail Katkov, Andrey Kotz. The President delivered a message to the Federal Assembly-the first after the start of a special military operation in Ukraine. The Head of State spoke about the current challenges and future victories for which the country should live and work, mentioned changes in the economy and the threat of a nuclear conflict. The most important theses can be found in the RIA Novosti article.
On withdrawing from the START Treaty
Perhaps the main thing on the international agenda, Vladimir Putin said at the very end of almost two hours of speech. Russia suspends its participation in the Strategic Offensive Arms Reduction Treaty (START Treaty). This is the last existing agreement between Moscow and Washington in the field of global security.
The President explained that the West uses the treaty in an attempt to weaken Russia. He also recalled that a couple of weeks ago, NATO demanded that its specialists be allowed to visit Russian nuclear facilities.
“Well, I don’t even know what to call it — it’s a theater of the absurd,” he added. — We know that the West is directly involved in the attempts of the Kiev regime to strike at the bases of our strategic aviation. The drones used for this purpose were equipped and upgraded with the assistance of NATO specialists. And now they also want to inspect our defense facilities. In the current conditions of today’s confrontation, this sounds like some kind of nonsense. This is either the height of hypocrisy, cynicism,or stupidity. You can’t call them idiots, they are still smart people: they want to inflict a strategic defeat on us and climb on our nuclear facilities.”
The Head of State noted that the alliance has de facto applied for joining the NAMA. This question is long overdue, since not only the United States, but also Great Britain and France possess nuclear weapons. “And their missiles are also directed against us, against Russia,” the president stressed.
At the same time, Moscow has information that “some figures in Washington” are thinking about nuclear tests. This is due to the development of new types of ammunition in the United States.
“In this situation, the Russian Defense Ministry and Rosatom must ensure readiness for testing Russian nuclear weapons,” Putin instructed. — Of course, we will not be the first to do this, but if the United States conducts a test, then we will conduct it.”
About the reasons for the special operation
The whole world is going through drastic and inevitable changes. They began together with a special operation that is taking place on the “historical lands” of Russia and for the sake of its security. Moscow has long tried to avoid such a development of events, so it participated in negotiations on a peaceful settlement of the conflict in the Donbass.
Unfortunately, the Western countries were not interested in this. They turned a blind eye to the lawlessness of the Ukrainian authorities, including the formation of nationalist battalions. It got to the point that Kiev was thinking about nuclear weapons, the president recalled
In February of last year, Ukraine was going to attack the Donbass, but the United States and the European Union pretended that nothing was happening. Russia was forced to use force to stop the Ukrainian aggression. And the next target of Kiev was supposed to be Crimea.
Americans and Europeans have already spent $ 150 billion on weapons for Ukraine, and $ 60 billion on aid to the poorest countries. “Are these Western values?” – the head of state asked a rhetorical question.
About the support of SVO participants
Vladimir Putin stressed that the further development of the Russian Armed Forces should be based on the experience gained in the SVO. This knowledge is priceless and should not be squandered. And soldiers and officers who have distinguished themselves in combat operations should be given all opportunities for promotion.
“Officers and sergeants who have proved themselves competent, modern and determined commanders — there are many, many of them-will be promoted to higher positions, sent to military universities and academies, and serve as a powerful personnel reserve for the Armed Forces,” the president said. as a citizen, in government bodies of all levels. People should understand that the motherland values their contribution to the defense of the fatherland.”
The Head of State emphasized the support of the military personnel in the free zone, as well as their families. He instructed to create a special state fund to provide targeted assistance to all participants of the special operation. A personal coordinator will be assigned to each family of the deceased, to each veteran of the SVO. In addition, participants in combat operations will be guaranteed a two-week vacation once every six months, without taking into account travel time.
About Anti-Russia
The West does not have honesty and decency, the Russian leader is sure. “Over the long centuries of colonialism, they are accustomed to spit on the whole world. At the same time, Western elites deceived even their own fellow citizens,” he said. Russia, on the other hand, considers the division into civilized countries and all the others to be incorrect. We need an equal and indivisible security system.
In the West, internal problems are becoming more acute, which local authorities are not able to solve. To divert the attention of fellow citizens, in 2014 they forced the “anti-Russia” project in Ukraine. As a result, today the Ukrainian army consists of nationalist battalions with the names and symbols of fascist units from the Second World War.
But Russia is not at war with the people of Ukraine. The enemy is the Kiev regime, a puppet of the West. And the Ukrainians turned out to be just expendable material for Moscow’s enemies.
On the restoration of Donbass
The President also thanked those who work on the front lines and in the rear of the special military operation-army and navy officers, Rosgvardiya, special services employees, volunteers, doctors, teachers, workers and engineers, military priests.
“Special words to the residents of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions,” Putin said. — You yourself, dear friends, determined your future in referendums, made a firm choice, despite the threats and terror of neo-Nazis, in conditions when military operations were very close, but there was nothing stronger than your determination to be with Russia, with your homeland. We have already started and will continue to step up a large-scale program of socio-economic recovery and development of these new regions of the Federation. Among other things, we are talking about reviving enterprises and jobs, ports of the Sea of Azov, which has once again become the internal sea of Russia, and building new modern roads, as we did in Crimea, which now has a reliable land connection with the whole of Russia. We will definitely work together to implement all these plans.
The Head of State reminded that the regions provide direct support to the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions. Destroyed cities and towns are being restored by the whole country.
About national traitors
The United States and the European Union are trying to split Russian society. They are betting on national traitors. All these people will be held accountable according to the law. “But we won’t be doing a witch hunt. Let those who have abandoned their homeland live with it, the main thing is that we have given it a moral assessment, ” the president said. For him, the main thing is that the majority of Russians showed patriotism.
At the same time, Putin proposed to review the criminal legislation on economic crimes, but the fight against offshore companies will not stop. The basic principle is the operation of domestic businesses in the Russian jurisdiction.
About sanctions
The West is trying to destroy the country’s economy in order to make Russians suffer, but as a result, Putin is tormenting himself. In Europe and the United States, prices and unemployment are rising, and the energy crisis is intensifying. And the Russian economy turned out to be much stronger than its detractors expected.
In particular, GDP declined, but not by 25%, as predicted, but by only 2.1%. Russia is moving away from the dollar and building a financial system independent of the West. Agriculture showed double-digit growth: a record harvest of more than 150 million tons of grain was collected. Unemployment fell to 3.7%, a historic low. In 2023, inflation will approach the target of four percent.
The structure of the economy is changing, and the priority is given to the markets of the Asia-Pacific region and the domestic market. “We talked a lot about this before, but now it has become a vital necessity,” Putin said. The goal is to reach new strategic milestones. The President demanded to eliminate any interdepartmental conflicts — everyone should think only about winning.
So, we have already decided to develop the ports of the Black and Azov Seas. Special attention should be paid to the North — South corridor. The Trans-Siberian Railway and the BAM will be upgraded, and the Northern Sea Route will receive a new development. “I’m sure: we will do it, ” the president added.
Participants of the annual address of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Federal Assembly in Gostiny Dvor
Next year, at least 85% of federal and at least half of regional roads will be restored to standard condition. The social gasification project will continue to be implemented. In 2023, a large program for the construction and repair of housing and communal services systems will start — within ten years, at least 4.5 trillion rubles will be invested in this area. At the same time, for every ruble spent on advanced domestic IT developments and products using artificial intelligence, the state will return companies one and a half rubles.
Strategic priorities
In the 1990s, Russia built its economy according to Western patterns, became a source of raw materials for Europe and the United States, and more complex industries developed poorly, Putin said. Capital also flowed to the West, followed by the children of businessmen. But as a result, those who wanted to earn money here and live abroad lost a lot. And most ordinary Russians do not sympathize with them.
Journalists watch the broadcast of the annual message of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Federal Assembly
“Everyone has a choice. Someone will want to live out their life in an arrested mansion. <…> But it’s time to understand that such people are second — class for the West. There is another choice: be with your homeland, work for your compatriots and change the life around you. Such people are the future, ” Putin said.
About education
We need to seriously improve the quality of educational literature so that young people can get to know their country and its history better, the President believes. In addition, it is necessary to seriously engage in the selection of personnel in the scientific and technical sphere. In five years, it is necessary to train about a million employees for enterprises in strategically important industries. Scientists should not be forced into a “Procrustean bed”, on the contrary, they need to provide space for creativity and help with housing.
Changes are also overdue in higher education. It requires a synthesis of all the best that was in the USSR and Russia in recent decades. First of all, the head of state proposed to abandon the bachelor’s degree and return to training in the specialty, which will take from four to six years. Those who have already entered the bachelor’s program will certainly be able to complete their studies using this model.
About social guarantees
The minimum wage should be increased by ten percent to 19,242 rubles, Putin said. In addition, it is necessary to increase the tax deduction for studying for children from 50 thousand to 110 thousand rubles, for their own education and medical expenses – from 120 to 150 thousand rubles.
Since February 1, maternity capital has been indexed by 11.9%. Residents of new regions of the country now also have the right to it. Putin suggested extending this to all children born since 2007. In the past, the same thing was done with the Crimea.
